Before the holiday season bustle fully kicks in, take some time to think about what your holidays will look like this year—at home, at work, and with your friends and neighbors.
- What are your annual traditions, and is there a way to bring Jesus more fully into them?
- How is God moving in your life, and who would benefit from hearing some of your God-stories during the holidays?
- What are some things you can do to bring God’s hope and truth into the world in a tangible way?
Here are some ideas from our congregation:
- I have cooked extra food and delivered it to friends who I know may have been struggling. — Debra
- We sang “Silent Night” before dinner with candlelight one Christmas. Our relatives in attendance were touched. — Lea
- This year I’m hoping to give cookies to more neighbors. I feel that our family is growing in hospitality, and we need to keep on growing. — Jacy
- When I’m at the store, I make a point to stop parents who have screaming children and let them know parenting is a hard job, their kids are precious, and they are doing a good job. I hope this sheds a little bit of Jesus’ light in their lives. — Nancy
- We sponsor a student from the Angel Tree at the school where I work. We have seen an incredible change in our own children once we started having them help choose what to give. — Sarah
- I include a gospel letter in all of my Christmas cards, posing questions to the reader, then answering them with Scripture. People’s hearts are often much more receptive at Christmas time, so I don’t want to squander that opportunity. — Emily
- I have learned to be aware of opportunities to pray with people and bring God into the equation and situation. There are many opportunities, if we are willing to look for them. I pray for guidance in trying to recognize the opportunities. — Roger
Pastor Allen’s new Advent devotional, Lead with Faith at Christmas, provides even more ideas on how to bring your faith into the holidays in a meaningful way—with 25 days of scripture, devotions, recipes, and more. For a limited time, you can request a copy when you donate $30 or more.
This holiday season, instead of focusing on the darkness and whatever is going wrong, let’s decide to purposefully and intentionally turn up the light!
— Allen Jackson Ministries